Chris & John's Travel Log: LOWER EYRE PEININSULA

There are lots of camps along the east coast of Eyre Peninsula and it really depends on what you prefer. Most of the small coastal villages have caravan parks or camping reserves and some of the sheep and wheat farmers are now allowing campers in for a small fee. Because we prefer the less crowded areas we again ended up at Poverty Bay on the way down. There are no amenities whatsoever there but we love the spot.

Poverty Bay

A sea mist came in on our last morning,
enshrouding locals fishing just offshore.

The bees we met here last year had moved around the rock ledge a little.

We only stayed a couple of days but next time it the weather is good we will have a go at putting the tinny in and trying to find the reef that we have seen lots of locals fishing just offshore.

We had planned to camp at a property right at the bottom of Bolingbroke Peninsula next but as we our friends Tony and Jo were meeting us for a couple of days we pushed on to Port Lincoln, stocked up and headed out to Farm Beach, where we managed to get set up in the exact same spot as last year. The place hasn’t changed much except that the Council has built a small shelter shed near the toilets which came in handy for happy hour if it is rainy. It is still $10 a night and the bore water is still brackish and hellishly cold as it comes up from deep down.

The tractors are still plentiful at the Farm Beach campsite.

Again we spent lots of time fishing for whiting with mixed results. Unfortunately the squid are not as abundant as last year but John and Mitch managed to get lots of lovely abalone. You have to go quite a ways though up the western coast where there is any number of bays that you can dive in (if you aren’t too concerned about sharks).

One of the many bays where you can dive for abalone.

Some of the interesting marine creatures you'll see along the water's edge.

And one we saw on the road.

Anyway in a couple of days we ended up with some lovely black and green lip abs as well as a nice fish which Mitch speared. He also got a good sized octopus but I convinced him to let it go.

John and Mitch with some of their catch.

John has enjoyed the Coffin Bay golf course while we’ve been here too. It is a nine-hole course but with eighteen holes where they double up. It is a lovely course and a credit to those who maintain it.

There isn’t much in the way of shops but there is a pub, a dump point and water and apparently they are building a new IGA which will be great. Coffin Bay is only 25 klms from Farm Beach while Lincoln is 65 klms so it will save some long trips if they are competitive pricewise. There is a large public boat harbour and further round a large area for launching boats which includes a carpark, picnic and fish cleaning tables, toilets and dump point.

Pubkic boat harbour - Coffin Bay.

While John was golfing and friend and I went out to Coffin Bay National Park to do some bird-watching and take a look at the park. It is quite reasonable at $8 per vehicle for a day pass. They have also done a bit to improve the campground at Yangie Bay, with some larger bays put in for vans.

Yangie Bay camp ground.

All the other camping is more remote and the park is only accessible beyond Yangie Bay via four-wheel drive tracks. Yangie Bay is really a big shallow lagoon. It’s a conservation area but the brochure says recreational shore fishing is allowed at some access points. It would be great for kids and canoeing etc. though. There are also some great walking tracks with some interesting sights and encounters including several with the local roos who seemed totally unphazed by our presence.

The trees, both alive and dead are hardy and gnarly.

There are some spectacular views of the coastline etc. from the many lookouts.

Panoramic view from the park west toward Farm Beach.

Looking across to Mt Dutton. Farm Beach lies just beneath the mountain. Yangie Bay in the foreground with Mount Dutton Bay behind. Coffin Bay is off to the right.

Golden Island - Coffin Bay NP

Yangie Bay with Coffin Bay in the distance.

Although there weren’t as many birds as we’d have liked, I did get some good shots of some local birds though and as you’ll see, I’m having fun with my new camera so I hope these bird shots don’t bore everyone.

Crested terns - Coffin Bay NP

Nankeen Kestrel - Farm Beach

Crested Pigeon - Farm Beach

Australian (Richard's) Pipit

White-fronted Chat - Farm Beach

Even though we’ve stayed at Farm Beach a couple of times I keep discovering new places like the road to the end of the swamp opposite the camp and the road up to Gallipoli Beach where they filmed a lot of the ‘Gallipoli’ movie.

We also got across to the other side of the bay which is actually part of the Coffin Bay NP. Sometimes the whiting fishing is better over there but you just never know ‘til you get there.